F.A.Q
WiFi
Which are the advantages and disadvantages of WiFi?
Advantages
- Unlike packet radio systems, WiFi uses unlicensed radio spectrum and does not require regulatory approval for individual deployers.
- Allows LANs to be deployed without cabling, potentially reducing the costs of network deployment and expansion. Spaces where cables cannot be run, such as outdoor areas and historical buildings, can host wireless LANs.
- WiFi products are widely available in the market. Different brands of access points and client network interfaces are interoperable at a basic level of service.
- Competition amongst vendors has lowered prices considerably since their inception.
- Many WiFi networks support roaming, in which a mobile client station such as a laptop computer can move from one access point to another as the user moves around a building or area.
- Many access points and network interfaces support various degrees of encryption to protect traffic from interception.
Disadvantages
- Use of the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band does not require a license in most of the world provided that one stays below the 100mWatt limit and one accepts interference from other; including interference which causes your devices to no longer function. It is alleged that Amateur Radio operators have license to boost the power on their routers up to the legal maximum for their license class, which tends to be 1500 watts (roughly 15,000 times that of a normal router).
- Legislation is not consistent worldwide; most of Europe allows for an additional 2 channels; Japan has one more on top of that - and some countries, like Spain, prohibit use of the lower-numbered channels.
- Furthermore some countries, such as Italy, require a 'general authorization' for any WiFi used outside the owned premises; or require something akin to an operator registration.
- The 802.11b and 802.11g flavors of Wi-Fi use the 2.4 GHz spectrum, which is crowded with other devices such as Bluetooth, microwave ovens, cordless phones (900 MHz or 5.8 GHz are, therefore, alternative phone frequencies one can use if one has a Wi-Fi network), or video sender devices, among many others. This may cause a degradation in performance. Other devices which use microwave frequencies such as certain types of cell phones can also cause degradation in performance.
- Power consumption is fairly high compared to other standards, making battery life and heat a concern.
- The most common wireless encryption standard, Wired Equivalent Privacy or WEP, has been shown to be easily breakable even when correctly configured. Although newer wireless products are slowly providing support for the Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) protocol, many older access points will have to be replaced to support it. The adoption of the 802.11i (aka WPA2) standard in June 2004 makes available a rather better security scheme for future use -when properly configured.
- In the meantime, many enterprises have had to deploy additional layers of encryption (such as VPNs) to protect against interception.
Wi-Fi networks have limited range. A typical Wi-Fi home router using 802.11b or 802.11g might have a range of 150 ft (46 m) indoors and 300 ft (92 m) outdoors. But about 10 US$ and an hour of building will get you an antenna that can go much further.
- Rogue access points could be used to steal information transmitted from Wi-Fi users.
